Fey University
by Sonata16
Summary: As if the first semester at college wasn't hard enough already between classes and homework and communal showers, now you have to worry about boys. (Originally started on Tumblr for imagine-iron-fey. - Second Person POV)
1. Chapter 1 - Robbie Goodfell

Another day, another new terrifying experience. Today's life-changing experience: the first day of college... Goody.

Armed with a campus map in one hand and your shoulder bag gripped tightly in the other, you stood helplessly in the middle of main campus, looking around in every possible direction, trying to locate your first class. You had been hoping to tour campus the day before, but had gotten in late and by the time you had unpacked it had been nearly midnight and far too late to go adventuring. As a result, you were now of the greatest certainty that you were about to be late for your first class, on your first day, and so far—though you couldn't believe you were saying it—you were really starting to think you should have stayed in high school... At least all your classes were in the same building then...

Sighing despairingly, you looked back down at the map, trying to match the buildings around you to anything on the map. Where was your class again? M. Hall? You looked around at the building names around you. Nope. No M. Hall to be seen. There was S. Hall, though... You looked at the map and groaned. Yep. There was S. Hall, all the way on the other side of campus from M. Hall... Great.

Sighing, you started to walk in the proper direction, checking your watch agitatedly as you did so. _Damn it..._ You had just under ten minutes to get to M. Hall...and the other side of campus was at least a good fifteen minute walk. Running might have been an option, if you weren't carrying nearly 20 pounds of books and already offset by nerves. If you started running, you were likely to trip over your own feet and wind up in the infirmary before class...

You checked the map one more time, just to make sure you knew where you were going, then stuffed it into the pocket of your bag and continued on, resigned. Maybe you'd have a professor who was habitually late, or didn't notice if his students walked in after the fact...

Fifteen minutes later, you arrived at M. Hall, heart thrumming anxiously. Finding the room was probably the easiest part, since it was the first thing you saw as you walked in. The door was propped open, and you could hear garbled conversation from inside, clear evidence that the other students were already gathered. And also a promising sign that perhaps the professor was not yet there...or had already started lecture... Swallowing your nerves and doubling your grip on the strap of your bag, you approached the doorway and peeked inside.

At least 100 students were gathered inside, all speaking loudly and energetically. Many of them had their phones out and were texting, while others laughed and chatted. None of them paid you any mind as you slid inside, sending up a silent thanks that the professor was yet to be seen and the stage at the front of the auditorium was still empty. Looking around at the rows of seats, many of which were full, you frowned as you scanned for a place to sit, hovering at the edge of the hall to avoid becoming conspicuous.

Abruptly, someone bumped into you from behind, sending you stumbling forward as you threw out a hand to catch yourself on the wall.

"Whoops! Sorry, chickadee. You okay?"

A hand caught your upper arm to steady you, and you turned your head, wide eyed, to stare up into the anxious but smiling face of a green eyed boy. Bright ginger bangs stuck out from under his hood, which he pushed back as he grinned at you, still looking a little nervous, as though he thought you might snap at him.

"You alright?" he asked again, raising a fiery eyebrow.

"Yeah," you said shakily, staring at him. You didn't know what it was...maybe the red hair or the cheeky grin, but he was _cute_. "I'm fine. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he said, shaking his head, "You looking for a place to sit?"

You nodded shyly.

"Come on," he said, readjusting the strap on his shoulder and jerking his head towards a corner of the room. "You can sit with me. I'll even let you copy my notes."

He winked and grinned before leading you over to a couple of empty chairs at the far end of the room, just a couple of rows back from the very front. You both got settled, and you took a second to pull out a notebook and pencil, trying to be the good student you were raised to be.

"By the way," said the red-headed stranger beside you, and you glanced over at him. "I thought it might be a good idea to introduce myself, since you'll end up spending the rest of the semester having to bask in my glory."

He grinned again as he extended his hand.

"I'm Robbie," he said. "Robbie Goodfell."

You take his hand and shake it, mumbling your name in embarrassment.

Robbie's grin widened. "Nice to meet you."

You just nodded shyly and ducked your head. At that moment, however, there was a loud slam from the auditorium doors and you jerked your head up in time to see a towering man with a long silver ponytail stepping into the room, square-rimmed glasses set on his nose from which behind pitch black eyes scanned the class with a kind of silent speculation.

"Well, I'll be damned," muttered Robbie, sounding stricken and amused.

"What?" you asked under your breath, but before Robbie could answer, the silver-haired man, who you presumed was your professor, turned to look at the pair of you and narrowed his eyes.

"Goodfell," he said, eyebrows shooting up. You glanced over at Robbie, who was grinning so hugely you thought his face was going to split in half.

"Hey, Mac, how's it going? When did you become a professor?" he asked, to which your professor rolled his eyes and gave a deep sigh.

Apparently they'd met before...

"If you call me that ever again, I will kick you out of my class," said the professor, "It's Professor Machina to you, and you'd do well to remember it."

"Yes, sir," said Robbie in mock seriousness, giving a salute, though his green eyes gleamed with mischief.

Machina pinned him with a look.

"I mean it, Goodfell," he said, jabbing a finger in Robbie's direction. "A single incident from you and that's it."

"Aw, I don't even get the 'Three-Strikes' Ruling?" asked Robbie, pouting.

"No," said Machina curtly.

"Well, sheesh," muttered Robbie as the professor turned his back and began to write on the board while the class snickered and whispered among themselves. "What a way to greet a guy..."

"You know each other?" you muttered.

"Eh, more or less," Robbie said, shrugging. "It's kind of a long story. One I'd rather not remember, honestly. So, might as well sit back and behave, much as it pains me to do it."

You slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I feel like you're the kind of guy who enjoys making trouble?" you asked him skeptically.

His grin was positively fiendish.

"Because I am," he chortled, winking. "Don't worry, chickadee, I won't get you in _too_ much trouble."

"Uh-huh," you responded disbelievingly, but couldn't help the small smile that worked its way onto your face.

Maybe your first day wouldn't be so bad after all...

At least that was your thought process until Professor Machina assigned a ten page essay due the next week. As you grudgingly wrote down the assignment with a sigh, Robbie gave you a long sideways glance.

"Why do I get the feeling," he started to ask, "That you are the kinda person that does every assignment on time and follows the directions down to the letter?"

"Because I am," you answered cheekily, throwing him a rueful look that made him laugh.

"Fair enough," he snickered, hands in the air. "But, before you start worrying your head off, how about you meet a friend of mine."

"Oh?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Robbie grimaced, "He's not really a friend. More like this dude I've known forever who kinda hates my guts, but he puts up with me for whatever reason because I secretly think he's got a thing for me."

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

You snorted disbelievingly.

"Hey, hey, don't laugh," Robbie said, wagging a finger at you. "I'm quite the charmer once you get to know me."

"I'll have to take your word for it," you told him as you gathered your things. "But why are we going to see this friend-not-actually-a-friend of yours?"

"Because he's a kid genius and could help you with your homework," Robbie answered, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Plus, I haven't seen him since last semester and I think he must miss me."

"This relationship you guys have sounds awfully one sided," you mused as you followed him out of the classroom.

"You have no idea," he snickered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark green hoodie, lips curved in a smile. "Come on, chickadee, let's go meet the Little Princeling."


	2. Chapter 2 - Ash Tally

Robbie led you to the other side of campus, back around S. Hall where you had started your morning, but took the time along the way to at least point out the other buildings where your classes would be held. As it turned out, you two had three other classes together through the course of the week, so you were guaranteed to see him at least once every day. The thought made you ridiculously happy, and you had to work hard not to let it be too obvious as he skimmed your schedule with you, one arm around your shoulder. You were actually so busy paying attention to him that you didn't realize you had reached your destination until he pulled you to a stop and gestured grandly to something in front of you.

"Behold," he announced dramatically as you looked towards a bench set beneath a shady tree, "His Royal Highness, Prince of the Campus, Prince Ashton Tally."

The dark haired boy lounging on the bench looked up slowly from his book with a totally resigned look on his face, his gray eyes unsurprised as he took in Robbie.

"Hey, Ash," the red head greeted him with a dainty finger-wave.

Ash blinked once at him, and sighed.

"Fuck," he muttered, tucking his book away in the bag at his feet and getting to his feet. He was just as tall as Robbie, possibly taller, and had to toss his head to get his dark hair out of his face as he stood, arms crossed over his chest as he faced you and Robbie.

"Well, now, that's not very bright and sunshiney," tutted Robbie, frowning in mock hurt. "You're not happy to see me?"

Ash's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Should I be?" he asked dully.

"Come on, Ashton," sighed Robbie, sidling up to the boy and throwing an arm around his shoulders. "Didn't you miss me even the tiniest teensy weensy little bit?"

Ash didn't change expression.

"No," he said, though you thought you saw his lips curve the smallest bit at the corners, like he might smile as he shrugged out of Rob's grip.

"Well, damn, Ash," huffed Rob. "What did I do to deserve that?"

"You threw a dissected cow bladder in my face," was the response he got.

"Come on, that was a joke!"

"You'll have to explain the punchline, because I didn't get it."

You giggled slightly, drawing both boys' gazes onto you, and you suddenly felt very self-conscious as Ash's strange gray eyes locked on you.

"Who's this?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Ah, this is my lovely classmate," Robbie said, coming back over to you and throwing his arm around your shoulders, grinning. "Met in Professor Machina's class. Did you know he was teaching this year?"

"Yes," sighed Ash. "It was announced last year at the end of the semester."

Robbie blinked. "Well, shit, I missed that memo."

"You miss a lot, Goodfell."

"Give me a break, Ashton, I've got a busy brain."

Ash did smirk this time.

"And here I thought it was the total opposite," he said in amusement.

"Look, smart aleck, I came to ask for your assistance and I am feeling genuinely hurt right now," said Rob, looking anything _but _hurt as he made a face at Ash.

"You? Ask me for help?" Ash looked close to laughter. "Well, that's new to me. What did you do? Blow up the computer lab?"

"Oh, he thinks he's so funny," muttered Rob, rolling his eyes. "It's a tragedy, really. The more he tries to be like me, the sadder it gets."

You didn't comment, but merely stood there trying not to smile too much. Frankly, you were enjoying this a lot, and you were starting to think your college campus was full of cute guys, because while Rob had the mischievous boyish good looks going for him, Ash definitely had more of a silent, bookish type of thing going for him. Robbie had on a hoodie and jeans, and Ash was dressed in black slacks with a dark button-up tucked into the waistband; the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, flashing a silver Rolex. If you had to put him as a character in a movie, he would have been the quiet, reserved prodigy of some wealthy senator.

"So, what did you come here for, Goodfell?" sighed Ash, eyeing his (friend?).

"As a favor to this lovely individual," Robbie said, gesturing towards you, and you felt your cheeks flush as Ash looked directly at you again. "See, she's got a paper due Monday for Machina and she's already stressed to pieces."

"Which means you also have a paper for Machina that you want someone else to do for you," Ash said dully, cocking an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Oh, he knows me so well," sighed Robbie, dramatically placing a hand over his heart. "Soooo...please?"

"For you?" Ash smirked. "No."

"Oh, _come on_!"

"No," said Ash firmly, though he was still smirking. "I will happily assist her, if she needs it, but I am absolutely not helping you. I learned my lesson last year."

"Dammit," muttered Robbie, scowling.

"If you want sympathy, go talk to someone who doesn't know you," Ash advised him.

"Come on, Ashton, don't be a meanie," Robbie pleaded, clasping his hands together, stretching his eyes wide. "You don't want me to fail, do you? Get kicked out of school?"

The look on Ash's face looked a little too thoughtful.

"Hey, hey, don't get any ideas," Robbie told him sharply. "Not helping me pass is one thing; deliberately getting me to fail is another."

Ash shrugged. "It's always an idea..."

"A _bad _idea," Robbie said darkly.

"Coming from the King of Bad Ideas, that isn't really saying much," Ash snorted.

"Help, Ashy. Remember the help we just asked for?"

"I said I would help her," Ash nodded at you. "I stand by what I said about _you_. You're on your own, Goodfell."

"You can't be serious..."

"As a heart attack," sighed Ash, leaning down to pick up his bag and sliding it onto his shoulder. "Now, don't you have a class?"

Robbie eyed the boy skeptically. "Ashy," he said, a slow grin coming onto his face, "Did you hack the school's computer system again? _Just _to check _my _schedule?"

Ash remained composed, but you saw something flicker across his gray eyes.

"Class, Goodfell?"

Robbie's face was in full-on smile mode.

"You did," he sang at Ash, practically bouncing on the ball's of his feet. "You checked my schedule 'cause you care about me and you're my special little stalker."

Ash merely raised an eyebrow. Robbie snickered and turned to you.

"Well, chickadee, I've gotta be off," he said, grabbing you unexpectedly in a hug. "Stay out of trouble. I'll catch you later. In the mean time, make sure the Princeling stays out of trouble, 'kay? He's kind of hopeless without me around to babysit."

"Says the perpetual infant," muttered Ash as Robbie released you, leaving you a little dazed as you staggered back and watched as the red head started to jog away.

After he was out of sight, you slowly turned to Ash, suddenly very aware that you two were alone. He was inspecting his Rolex, though you had the feeling he was still watching you out of the corner of his eyes. You stood uncertainly, hands clasped in front of you, until he finally put his hand in his pocket and looked up at you, his expression carefully neutral.

"So," he said softly, and you felt your stomach jolt. "Did you want help with that paper?"

You glanced up at him, feeling your mouth go a little dry, and nodded.

"Sure," you said, a little breathlessly.

He nodded without speaking, seeming to inspect you for a moment, then made a small gesture for you to follow him.

"You don't have a class soon, do you?" he asked as you started to follow him.

"Not until three," you responded.

"Good," he sighed. "That gives us a few hours."

You nodded, unsure how to really respond, then asked,

"So, how do you know Rob?"

Ash glanced back at you and you weren't sure if his expression was more annoyed or amused.

"We met as kids," he said. "He ended up kind of attached."

You couldn't help but grin. "I'd kind of noticed."

Ash chuckled. "I will admit, he tends to grow on you. Just never tell him I told you that."

"Sure," you answered with a small smile.

Ash paused and glanced back at you again. Stopping mid-stride, he turned to face you and extended his hand.

Automatically, you took it. His cool skin shocked you, and you jumped slightly, your eyes leaping to his. At the angle the sun was at, they looked almost silver as he smiled softly at you.

"We weren't really properly introduced," he said. "I'm Ashton Tally.

You blushed. "It's nice to meet you..."


	3. Chapter 3 - Rowan Tally

Apparently you had been almost spot on with your theory that Ash was a quiet, studious and wealthy student. As it turned out, his dorm was on the outermost edges of campus, in the apartment style buildings that were usually reserved specifically for the especially privileged. Meaning those that could afford to spend your life's savings on a year of fancy living.

"Whoa," was the first word out of your mouth when he led you in the front door, through the immaculate front hall littered with plush couches and chairs. No one sat in them, and you had to stop and wonder just how many people actually lived here...

"Sorry," Ash apologized as he led you into the elevator and hit the button for the 7th floor. "It isn't my first choice of residence."

"Your parents want you to live here?" you asked, turning to stare at him.

"My mother, specifically," he said with a dark smile. "My father isn't really in the picture."

"Oh..." you murmured softly, feeling a twinge of guilt. "Sorry..."

"Don't be," he said, offering you a reassuring smile. "You can't miss what you never knew, right?"

You nodded, but continued to feel uneasy as the elevator slowly climbed floors. The silence between you started to get really uncomfortable, so you tried to break it.

"So it is just you and your mom?" you asked.

"No," sighed Ash, pushing a hand thoughtlessly through his hair, his expression weary. "I have two brothers. Both older."

"Do they go here?"

"Yes. Rowan—he's a couple years older than me—is actually my roommate, unfortunately. Sage, our older brother, lives off-campus in an apartment, but he's usually on campus as a teaching assistant or a tutor."

"You make it sound like you don't get along with either of them," you said softly, frowning.

Ash paused, seeming to think. "Sage and I get along decently," he said after a moment. "For the most part we just let each other do our own thing, but Rowan is..."

He hesitated again, his expression conflicted.

"Well, if he's here, you might just get to see it for yourself," he sighed, shrugging as the elevator finally halted and the doors slid open on the 7th floor.

You were frozen for a moment as you stared out into the hall. Unlike your dorm, where the inner walls were dim and made of sloppily painted brick and thin carpet, the halls here were brightly illuminated by inset lights on the ceiling. The floors were sleek black tile, maybe even marble, and you could see your reflection in it as you stepped onto it. The walls were smooth and painted a soft beige color, and various paintings hung at regular intervals down the expanse of hall.

"Whoa," you said again.

Ash gave a wry smile.

"I'll trade you," he said in amusement. "Though I don't think you'd enjoy my roommate any more than I do... Speaking of which..." He sighed as he drew to a halt in front of a door just a few feet down the hall, where music thumped audibly from the other side, "It looks like he's here after all..."

You stood tentatively to one side of the door as Ash inserted his key in the lock and turned the handle, stepping inside. You lingered in the doorway, peering inside.

The room was enormous by dorm standards. The walls were the same beige as the hallway, but the floors were covered in a thick plush carpet that was a darker beige. You could see from where you stood three different doorways in the room. Two side by side suggested they might be closets, while the third hung open, revealing a full size bathroom. The beds were lofted, and the large windows directly across from the main door opened onto a view of the lake just north of the campus. A desk was positioned directly under the window, and a boy lounged in the chair with his feet up on it, seeming perfectly at ease. He had his back to you, but you could see his jet black hair was styled into spikes, and judging by his profile, he looked to be built the same as Ash; maybe a little bit taller...

Speaking of Ash, the boy had crossed to a large stereo that sat perched on a second desk that seemed otherwise unused, and spun the volume dial down to almost zero, causing the second boy to perk up and turn around, frowning.

You felt your mouth drop open. Alright, you were totally and completely convinced now that all boys on this campus were stupidly good looking, because Ash's brother was one step away from gorgeous. He had the same fair, narrow face as his sibling, but his eyes were a striking blue color fringed with dark lashes, and as he turned his head further to look at you, you felt your stomach drop to your toes.

A lazy smirk curved his lips as he eyed you, and you had the very distinct feeling that he was undressing you with his eyes. He reclined in his chair, one arm laid across the back, his head cocked to one side like a curious cat as he watched you.

"Hello," he greeted you smoothly. "And you are?"

"Don't answer him, it will only encourage him," Ash said before you could respond, and you jerked your eyes away from Rowan to look over at the younger boy, who was fixing his brother with a warning look. "I thought you had work."

"Got the day off," said Rowan, unconcerned as he shrugged and got to his feet, stretching his arms over his head. You only noticed then that he was shirtless...and _damn._

He wasn't broad in body-building terms, but he had a distinctly muscled build. His arms and chest rippled as he moved, and as he turned more fully to face you, you were staring straight at his six-pack. _Jeez..._

You heard a dry cough and looked up to see Rowan smirking at you, arms folded over his powerful chest.

"See something you like?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Alright, out," snapped Ash, clearly irked.

"I live here, too, Ash," sighed Rowan, shooting his brother a resigned look. "Besides, you could at least introduce us. It would be the polite thing to do."

"Because you care about decency, Rowan," said Ash, narrowing his gray eyes at his brother. "She needs help with a paper and you're only going to be a distraction."

"Me, a distraction?" Rowan's smile was purely indulgent, and he looked over at you again. "Now, why would I disrupt someone from the experience of learning?"

"Why would you not is the better question?" Ash retorted, snatching up a laptop from one of the beds—you noticed it was also the most neatly made of the two beds in the room—and walked back towards you.

"It's a shame you don't look up to me more, Ash," sighed Rowan in mock disappointment, ruffling Ash's hair as he went by, causing Ash to scowl and glare at his elder sibling. "I thought that was what little brothers are supposed to do to their big brothers."

"Only if the big brother is worth looking up to," grumbled Ash, striding towards you and catching you by the arm, beginning to steer you out of the room.

"Don't be so uptight," Rowan said. "You might strain something."

You started to follow Ash out of the room, though it wasn't very hard given he still had hold of your arm, when Rowan reached out and caught your hand in his, bringing you to a halt. You looked back, startled, and found yourself staring into his luminous blue eyes as he gave you a sly smile.

"Feel free to drop by any time," he invited with a purr in his voice, lifting your hand to his lips and dropping a kiss on your knuckles, "With or without Ash..."

You felt a tingling on your skin where his lips touched, and a shiver ran up your spine, making the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and you stood momentarily frozen. Ash tightened his fingers around your arm, drawing you back to reality, and pulled you away from his brother.

Rowan was still smirking as Ash slammed the door on him and led you back to the elevator, muttering curses under his breath.

"Quite the person, your brother," you say faintly as you enter the elevator, resisting the urge to feel your pulse and make sure you actually still have one.

Ash's smile is bitter.

"He's not a person," he said, punching the button to the main floor. "But it's a nice delusion..."


	4. Chapter 4 - Glitch Tucker

You and Ash ended up in the library. Not many students were there, thank goodness, so it was easier to concentrate on what he was telling you as he sat you down to discuss your paper for Machina's class. Once he helped to explain just what it was Machina was looking for in the paper, you found yourself far less stressed about the issue. You could crank out ten pages easily, so long as you had an idea of just what the heck you were talking about. And an hour later, as Ash got up to leave for his next class, you felt much more confident.

"I hope that helped," he said as he packed his things into his bag and straightened up.

"It did," you said thankfully, smiling at him. "I really appreciate your help, Ash."

"It's not a problem," he assured you, returning the smile. "If you need any more help, you know where to find me."

You nodded and he excused himself. When he was out of sight, you checked your watch. You still had a good couple of hours before your next class of the day, and while you were more confident about your paper, it was for that very reason you didn't feel all that inclined to start on it. So, instead, you decided it would be a good time to take a lunch break and head to the nearest dining hall and pick up something before class. Packing your things, you rose from your seat and started to leave, but as you turned you slammed right into someone walking by.

You staggered and nearly fell, but strong arms caught you by the waist and pulled you upright, though you successfully dropped one of your notebooks on the floor.

"Sorry," apologized a voice, sounding shocked. "You okay?"

"Fine," you answered, a little shakily. "I just seem to keep running into people today."

You looked up with an apologetic smile, and went rigid for a moment. At first, you thought you were looking at Rowan. The spiky black hair was nearly identical, but then you looked into the striking violet eyes and automatically relaxed. The boy, dressed in a black exercise shirt and jersey shorts, still looked concerned as he stepped back, allowing his arms to fall away from you.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked, stooping to pick up a gym bag from the floor. You hadn't even realized he'd dropped anything trying to catch you...

"Yeah," you say, straightening your shirt and nodding. "Sorry."

"No, really, that was my bad," he said, readjusting the strap on his shoulder and giving an apologetic smile. He hesitated, then stuck out his hand. "I'm Glitch."

Feeling an extreme case of déjà vu you took his hand and shook it, introducing yourself for what felt like the umpteenth time that day.

"Hang on," Glitch said, narrowing his eyes at you, still keeping a grip on your hand, "Weren't you in Machina's class this morning?"

"Uh, yeah. I was." You nodded.

"Weren't you sitting with Goodfell?"

You blinked. Just how many people did Robbie know? Actually, you thought wryly, how many people had he gotten on the wrong side of? It seemed like most of the people that knew him were less his friends and more his reluctant acquaintances.

"Yeah," you answered Glitch with a nod, "We, uh...kinda just met this morning in class."

"Ah," said Glitch with a knowing smile. "He roped you in, too, huh?"

"I take it you know each other," you said, raising an eyebrow.

"Pretty much," he sighed, shaking his head. "We met last year as freshmen. Biology lab. He was kind of an idiot, but he knew the material, so when we had to partner up for the class I figured it was better than being stuck with someone who knew nothing about the subject. He's a bit weird, but he's smart, I'll give him that."

"But you aren't really friends," you guessed.

"Depends on your definition, I guess," said Glitch, rolling his shoulder in a shrug. "It's not like we hang out much, but he pops up every now and then. This your first year?"

You nodded.

"Then you'll be glad to have him around. He's got connections with pretty much everyone on campus, even the professors."

"Yeah, I'd noticed," you muttered, and Glitch chuckled.

"You going to meet him now?" he asked, but you shook your head.

"I was about to grab lunch, actually," you admitted. "I honestly don't know what other classes he has, or when, or where, so I figured he'll just...pop up, like you said."

"Probably will," Glitch agreed with a smirk. "Mind if I join you, then? I still feel bad for knocking into you."

"Really, it wasn't a problem. I'm a little accident prone, especially around people. It's one of the perks of being me," you said with a roll of your eyes.

"What about perky?" asked a voice, and an arm suddenly dropped across your shoulders, startling you.

"Jesus, Robbie," you muttered, turning to glare up at the red-head as he grinned down at you. "Where the heck did you come from?"

"Like I said," said Glitch with a very pronounced smirk, "He just shows up out of nowhere."

"Hadn't you heard, Glitchy?" asked Robbie with a grin of his own, "I'm a magician. I trained Houdini."

"Sure," snorted Glitch, rolling his violet eyes. "How've you been, Rob?"

"Eh, can't complain," said Robbie, shrugging. "It's life. Made friends. Mostly enemies. My professors all know me by name and I have been assured by every single one that if I do even one thing to raise hell in their class that I will be out on my ass before I can say 'oops'."

"Well done," snickered Glitch. "That's a record. Last year it took a week for your professors to know you by name."

"They're getting smarter," said Robbie seriously, but his eyes were alight with laughter. "Soon enough they might actually start teaching. I'm deeply concerned about this."

You giggled, and Robbie turned his head to wink at you.

"So, how'd the tutoring session with the Princeling go?" he asked, twirling a finger through your hair.

"Fine," you answered, a little embarrassedly, especially when you caught Glitch's look of surprise.

"She was with Tally?" he asked, and Rob nodded.

"Machina's paper," he explained, and Glitch grimaced. "You started it yet?"

"Do I look like Ash to you, Rob? No, I haven't started it. I'm willing to bet you haven't, either."

"Nope," said Rob cheerfully. "You know me. I'm the ten-minute wonder."

You blinked in confusion at him, and Glitch went on to explain,

"Rob's got this reputation of finishing homework ten minutes before a class and still getting an 'A' on it."

"I do very well under pressure," Robbie added with a smirk.

"So he says," Glitch muttered in an aside to you.

Robbie made a face at him that Glitch pretended not to see.

"So, you and Princeling get cozy in the library?" Robbie asked you then, eyebrows raised.

"Why do I get the feeling you're a little jealous of Ash?" you asked him slowly.

"Me, jealous? Psh! Puh-lease, chickadee, I am _so _much better looking than that schmuck. I was just a bit worried you might be so dazzled by my amazing good looks that you wanted something a little more toned down," he said, grinning as he gave your shoulders a little squeeze.

"He's jealous," said Glitch with a smirk.

"I didn't know you'd started speaking in third person, Glitchy," Robbie commented, shooting the violet eyed boy a surprised look. "I knew you were jealous, of course, but you could at least be upfront about it. Or does it make less of an impact not directly addressing it as your issue?"

Glitch rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and while I'm thinking about it," Robbie said, turning back to you, "Did you happen to meet the Princeling's brothers?"

"Uh, I met Rowan," you said, blinking up at him.

Glitch and Robbie exchanged a devastated look, and Glitch actually shuddered.

"You poor, poor, defenseless child," said Rob dramatically, gathering you in his arms and cradling you, gently patting your head. "I am so, _so _sorry that you had to endure such a damaging, soul-shattering experience as meeting the Prince of Hell. Are you hurt?"

He put you at arm's length, looking you over as though for visible injuries.

"I think she's fine, Rob," Glitch said, sounding amused. "I also think you're scaring her."

"Shush, he hurt my baby," Rob said indignantly, pulling you back into a hug. "I will not stand for this!"

"Good God," muttered Glitch, looking at you. "Just think, I had to put up with this all through last year."

"You know you enjoyed every second of it," Rob said, winking.

"Alright, you know what, in the best interest of the child, I'm taking her from you," said Glitch, putting his hands on your shoulders and drawing you out of Rob's grip.

"How about joint custody?" Robbie bargained while you stood idly beside Glitch, grinning in amusement between the pair of them.

Oh, yeah. You were definitely enjoying your first day so far.


	5. Chapter 5 - Sage Tally

One thing you loved about college: late classes. One thing you absolutely hated about college: _late classes_. Your first class of the day started at 10:00, and your last class of the day _ended _at 8:00. Add in that your last class was in a building all the way on the other side of campus from your dorm, and the only bus on campus didn't reach your stop until 8:30, and you were starting to wish you could have arranged for a different schedule. Robbie had walked you to the bus stop after class, given he had the same class. Glitch had wanted to join in, having a class a room over from you and Rob, but apparently in addition to having a part time job at the tech store on campus, he was also an active member of the cross country team, and had needed to attend a meet that night.

Once you and Robbie had gotten to the bus stop, he had also needed to leave to make it in time for his job at a nearby bookstore. He'd left you with his cell number, promising to be there ASAP if you needed him. Just for extra insurance, you had your cell phone in one hand, and your canister of mace held firmly in the other; a gift from a relative back home. You didn't really have reason to be nervous to be out, given the campus was all but empty, but for whatever reason you kept having this lurking feeling in the back of your mind that you were bound to run into someone that would make you wish you were prepared to let them have it...

As it turned out, you were right. You had been standing at the bus stop for nearly half an hour, occasionally checking your watch to make sure the bus wasn't late, when you heard quiet footsteps behind you. You thought about turning around, but resisted the urge. Awareness was one thing. Paranoia was another.

A car beeped behind you in the parking deck, and you jumped, startled, as lights flashed over you, and this time you did turn around, wide eyed. A lean figure stood a few feet from you, fishing something out of a sleek white car that looked like it cost more than your entire house, and as you watched, more entranced by the car than anything else, they seemed to find what they were looking for and straightened up, closing the door and hitting the lock, causing the car to chirp again.

As they turned, the lights in the parking deck illuminated their face, and you felt your stomach turn over as you recognized Rowan. He wore a shirt this time, thankfully, and you weren't as surprised as you should have been to see a fraternity crest stamped onto the left breast. You weren't familiar with any of the Greek organizations on campus, but you knew Greek letters when you saw them. What was that...? Kappa Sigma...?

You were still trying to recall the Greek alphabet when Rowan seemed to sense he was being watched and looked up midway through shrugging into a jacket, and locked eyes with you. He froze in the act of putting his jacket on, then seemed to compose himself and slid his arms into it, a small smile appearing on his face. Damn...you wished you could pretend you hadn't seen him...

"Hello again," he greeted you casually, hands in his pockets as he walked up to you.

"Hi," you greeted him a little reluctantly. Gorgeous he might be, but given the way Ash had acted you had the very distinct impression Rowan was the kind of person you wanted to avoid. Unfortunately, you still had about ten minutes left before the bus arrived... Your comfort was in knowing you could mace him if you needed to.

"I'm sorry if I upset you earlier," he apologized, coming to a stop about three feet away and offering you a friendly smile. "I'm afraid subtlety isn't really my strong suit. I hope you can forgive me."

What could you say? No?

"It's...fine," you said, hands still firmly clutching your phone and the pepper spray.

"Ash didn't really help the issue, either," Rowan went on with a rueful smile. "I'm afraid my little brother can be a bit overdramatic when it comes to me. We aren't exactly on great terms."

"He kind of mentioned that," you said, then wished you could take it back.

Rowan didn't seem to mind, though, and chuckled.

"I'm afraid we're a little too competitive. Sibling rivalry and all of that."

You just nodded, unsure what to say to that.

"So, shall we try again?" Rowan asked, and you blinked in confusion. "We never really did get introduced."

"Oh, um...sure," you said, still looking up at him, semi in a daze as his blue eyes stared back at you.

He offered a smile, and presented his hand.

"Hello," he said, "I'm Rowan."

You took his hand, your mind flying to your earlier encounter, even as you introduced yourself in a quiet voice. Your words caught in your throat as he turned your hand over and dipped his head to press a kiss to your fingers. An electric tingle shot along your skin and up your spine, just as before, and you felt momentarily breathless as you looked into his eyes.

You felt him smile against your knuckles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he fairly purred.

You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out as he straightened, still maintaining a hold on your hand, his thumb moving slowly back and forth over your skin. You blinked and he seemed closer, and you felt his hand begin to settle on your waist when...

"Really?" asked a resigned voice, and Rowan was suddenly jerked backwards from you as a hand caught him by the back of his jacket.

"Ow!" exclaimed the blue eyed boy, turning round to glare at the offender; a tall stranger with long black hair, glittering emerald green eyes, and a very disapproving frown. "God dammit, Sage, let go!"

Sage raised an eyebrow, but released his brother, allowing him to step away and straighten his jacket.

You stared at the eldest Tally brother. Sage was most definitely the tallest of the three, as he towered over Rowan, at least six feet tall. His long black hair was tied back in a casual ponytail, though a few stray bangs hung in his face. His green eyes were slightly hidden behind the lenses of his glasses, but his expression was quite obviously displeased as he eyed his younger sibling and adjusted the strap of his shoulder bag.

"Don't you have a class?" sneered Rowan at his elder sibling.

"Don't you have anything better to do than seduce a freshman?" the other retorted, arching an eyebrow.

"Do me a favor and don't try to live my life, alright?" Rowan snapped, still glaring.

"Get a life and I won't have to," was Sage's response, and you almost laughed.

Instead, you put a hand over your mouth to fight down the urge and merely stood there, looking back and forth between the two in disbelief. You knew Ash and Rowan didn't get along, but Rowan acted like it was all a big joke with Ash. Maybe not having the age advantage made it harder to turn things into a joke with Sage...

"I think you must enjoy butting in on me," Rowan was sniping at his brother, "Or is mother paying you to babysit me?"

"If she is, I'm not getting paid nearly enough," Sage answered dully, arms folded over his chest.

Rowan grimaced at his brother, then turned back to you, straightening out his expression, but he was suddenly way less charming than he had been about fifty seconds ago.

"Sorry about this," he apologized, trying to sound sincere. "This is my brother Sage."

"Ash mentioned you," you admit to Sage, who gives you a polite smile and inclines his head.

Rowan did not look pleased to hear you mention his younger brother.

"You and Ash seem friendly," he commented. "I didn't actually get to hear the story of how you two met."

"Mutual connection," you said. "Robbie Goodfell introduced us."

If Rowan could have looked any more irritated, he managed it, and all while still wearing a smile on his face.

"Really?" he asked, seeming to ask the question through his teeth. "I didn't know you knew Goodfell..."

You saw Sage roll his eyes and heave a sigh.

"Give it a rest, Rowan, she isn't interested in you," he said, to which Rowan wheeled around to glare at him.

"I thought I told you to butt out," he snapped.

"No, you didn't, actually," Sage said, giving a tight smile. "And even if you did, I don't recall you miraculously becoming the older brother."

Rowan looked about ready to take a swing at his brother, but seemed to think better of it as Sage raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Giving his sibling a menacing look, he finally seemed to decide it was time to back off. Though he did turn a final smile on you as he made his retreat.

"Still feel free to come by if you want," he called as he headed towards his car, hands shoved into his pockets.

_Not a chance..._you think to yourself, watching him go.

You watched him slide into the sleek white car and a moment later the engine turned over with a low growl and the lights came on. He backed out and sped away down the road, out of sight, leaving you and Sage standing at the bus stop. The eldest Tally brother turned a critical gaze on you, a small frown on his face.

"I don't make a habit of asking favors, but will you do one for me?" he inquired.

You hesitated, surprised, then nodded.

He shifted his bag on his shoulder, drawing something from one of the side pockets. A pen and a note card. He took a moment to scribble out something on the card, then handed it to you.

"If he ever bothers you again," he said as you looked down to see his name and a phone number, "Please call me. Rowan can be persistent when he wants something, and, unfortunately, he seems to want you. Having Ash and Goodfell around should deter him for the most part, but there's no telling with him. So..." He gave you that small smile again. "I would hope you don't have the need to, but at least you have the option."

You nodded mutely, surprised, but somewhat relieved.

"Thank you," you murmured, and he nodded.

There was a pause, then he offered you his hand.

You took it.

To your surprise, he bowed his head and kissed the back of your hand, but unlike Rowan's flirtatious advances, Sage's actions seemed purely chivalrous, though your heart was still hammering as he straightened and released your hand.

"Get home safely," he said, and you nodded again before he turned and walked away towards the parking lot. Behind you, a low rumble made you turn, and you saw the bus slowly coming up the street towards you; right on time.

As you boarded and took a seat, you glanced out the window in time to see Sage cruise by in a black convertible. He glanced up just as he passed, and caught your eye through the window. He smiled, and then was gone down the road.

You sat back in your seat, heaving a deep sigh and hugging your back pack to you.

"College," you said wearily.


	6. Chapter 6 - Apples and Oranges

The first week of classes flew by before you knew what had happened. Maybe it was the benefit of having Robbie in almost every class that made it seem like things went more quickly. He kept things interesting. Of course, interesting generally got him in trouble. By the end of the week, Machina had already called him out for mimicking him behind his back, though you noticed that Robbie somehow managed to smooth talk his way out of ejection from the class. You really weren't quite sure how he did it. Just that one minute Machina was calling him up for a hushed discussion on the stage, and the next Robbie was back in his seat with a grin on his face and Machina had gone back to teaching like nothing had happened.

"I thought he was going to kick you out," you told Rob as you exited the class later.

"Nah," he said, grinning and shaking his head. "He likes me too much. Same with the other professors around here. I'm just too likeable."

Somehow you didn't think that was really the reason, but you weren't going to argue with his logic. You were starting to learn with Rob that things happened around him that could not be explained and you were better off just accepting them.

One such thing was how he managed to live up to his name of the Ten Minute Wonder. If it weren't for the fact that you didn't believe Robbie was really capable of cheating, you would have thought that's exactly what he was doing, but he just seemed to have a knack for getting things done. Maybe he just really did do things well under pressure...

Friday at lunch, after your classes were over, you sat across from the red head, watching him intently as he lounged in his seat, munching on an apple.

"Careful there, chickadee," he warned you when he finally caught you watching him. "You keep staring like that and you might sprain something."

"I just don't get it," you said, putting down your bottle of water and frowning at him.

"Get what?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and grinning.

"How you're so good at everything. You even talked all of your professors out of kicking you out of class!"

He grinned even more broadly and gave you a sly wink.

"I'm magical," he said, and took another bite of apple.

That was becoming his explanation for everything, you noted.

Sighing, you went back to nursing your water bottle, turning your head to watch the crowd of students shuffling through the cafeteria.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Rob asked after a moment.

"Hm?" You looked around at him. "Oh...um...nothing, I guess. I finished all my work for this week and Machina's paper for next week, so I figured I'd just relax for the weekend."

Rob eyed you for a long moment, seeming to think over something, then smirked.

"We're going out," he decided, and you stared.

"What?"

"Out," he said again, "You know, out? As in getting off your cute little behind and doing something exciting?"

"Like what?" you asked, a little startled.

"Hmmm..." He rocked back in his chair, balancing it on the two back legs, and stared at the ceiling, thinking as he chewed on the last of his apple. "We could go bar hopping."

He glanced at you, and burst out laughing when he saw your stunned expression.

"I kid, I kid," he chortled, reaching out to pat you consolingly on the hand. "I don't want to get you kicked out before the first month is up. Nah. Too easy. Let's see...we could go hang out at the lake?"

"The lake?" You knew a lot of students went to spend time at the lake, but it was usually only the ones who had a summer home there. So, really, only the super wealthy students. "Wouldn't we have to rent a house there or something? I thought it was a private lake."

"It is," said a voice, and you looked around to see Ash standing there, fixing Rob with a dark look. "Or were you planning on stealing my boat, Goodfell?"

"Steal is such a naughty word," tsked Rob. "No, no. Never steal. Just...borrow without your knowledge or permission."

He grinned innocently at Ash, whose eyebrows rose almost to his hairline as he dropped into the seat beside you.

"She wants to go," Rob said, nodding at you when Ash didn't speak.

You started and glanced at Ash in time to lock eyes with him.

"I—" you started feebly, but Ash gave you a small smile.

"That's fine," he said.

"Sweet!" said Rob with a beaming smile. "We're going swimming!"

"I don't remember inviting you," Ash said, shooting a look at the red head, who pouted.

"But...but...Ashton," he whined, widening his eyes so he more resembled a green eyed puppy than anything. "Buddy...pal...darling..."

"You were doing great until that last one," Ash sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Babyyy," simpered Rob, making his best pitiful face.

Ash cringed and shot his friend a dark look.

"You can go if you stop acting like a five-year-old," he said, and Rob immediately perked up, smiling. "And just like that...he's fine."

"Dude, how many times have I pulled that on you?" Rob asked, smirking.

"Too many," muttered Ash, shaking his head.

"So, this means I get to drive the boat, too, right?" Rob hedged.

Ash's look was nothing short of menacing.

"_No_."

You smiled slightly as Rob gave him a disgruntled look.

"Killjoy," he mumbled, dropping his head on the table and scowling.

"Keep whining and I'll drown you in the lake," Ash threatened, though you could see amusement sparkling in his silver eyes.

"Ashton Tally," said Rob, pretending to look shocked, "Are you threatening to kill me?"

"No," Ash denied coolly, "I'm promising that if you touch my boat that I'll run you over with it."

"That's called murder, Ashton," Rob chided at him.

Ash smirked. "Only if you die," he said lightly, and you shot him a sideways look.

"See what you did?" Rob asked, gesturing at you. "She's scared of you now!"

Leaning towards you, the red head added in a conspirator's whisper,

"He'll never tell you, but he's part of a mob."

"Really?" you asked, raising your eyebrows in disbelief.

Rob nodded seriously. "Ever heard of the flash mob?"

You snorted with laughter and Ash rolled his eyes.

Rob grinned and winked at you, then straightened up.

"Well, I dunno about you two kiddies, but I have a need for another apple," he announced, snatching up his tray and turning away. "Don't miss me too much."

"Uh-huh," yawned Ash, and Rob shot him a look over his shoulder.

"You know hate seeing me leave," he teased the dark haired boy.

"Uh-huh," Ash said again, uninterested, and Rob made a face at him.

"You're no fun today, Ashy," he sighed, and walked away.

Once he was gone, you glanced at Ash. For the first time, you noticed he looked more exhausted than usual, and he wasn't really looking at anything as he stared dead ahead of him.

"You okay?" you asked him, gently touching his arm.

"Hm?" He blinked drowsily at you. "Yeah...Late night."

"Homework?"

He gave a tired 'hmph'.

"If only," he sighed. "Rowan and I got in a fight last night."

You stared. "Oh, jeez...I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's not the first time, and security escorted him downstairs for a while."

You two sat quietly for a moment. You really had no idea what to say to his admission. Thinking of him and Rowan, and how badly they got along, you shouldn't really be surprised, but you didn't like the idea of Ash getting into a fight with his brother. Though, from the looks of it, the argument had only been verbal. At least you couldn't see any signs of injury on Ash... He just looked tired.

You hesitated, unsure if you should ask what the argument was about, but then your curiosity gets the better of you...

"What did you guys fight about?"

You immediately regretted asking as Ash turned to stare at you.

"Sorry," you mumbled, ducking your head. "You don't have to answer that..."

Ash hesitated, then sighed. "No, it's probably better for you to know."

You look up at him, confused. "Why?"

"Because," he sighed, dragging a hand tiredly over his face, "It was about you."


	7. Chapter 7 - Blindsided

You sat motionless, staring at Ash, not quite sure you had really heard him correctly. He looked back at you quietly, his gray eyes half closed from exhaustion, and folded his hands in his lap.

"What?" you finally said, still staring at him.

His lips quirked at the corners as though he might smile, but he didn't, and sighed instead.

"You saw Rowan at the south parking deck, didn't you?" he asked, raising a slender eyebrow. "Monday night after classes and everything..."

"Oh...uh, yeah," you said, remembering suddenly.

"Alone?" he prompted, and you felt a twinge of unease.

"Kind of," you mumbled, unable to hold his gaze. "I was waiting for the bus and he just...showed up. Sage was there, too, though."

You added the last bit because you could sense Ash tensing.

"With Rowan?" he asked curtly.

"...No," you admitted. "He showed up a couple minutes later and basically told Rowan to get lost."

Ash sighed, and you glanced up to see him dragging a hand tiredly across his face.

"Rowan was talking about you last night," he said after a long moment of massaging his temple, slumping backwards in his seat.

"What about me?" you asked, but Ash shook his head.

"Nothing worth repeating," he said bitterly. "Just...he was being unpleasant and I think he knew it would rile me up. And it did." He shot you a dark smile. "I don't think he expected me to hit him."

You felt your jaw drop.

"You _hit _him?" you asked, horrified.

"He was asking for it," Ash said, but it didn't seem like he was really trying to defend himself. "If you'd heard half the things he said..."

He cut himself off abruptly and shook his head, but you had the feeling that Rowan had said some pretty nasty things for Ash to take a swing at him... Ash didn't strike you as the violent type unless provoked. Whatever Rowan had said, even in jest, had obviously set the younger Tally off, and apparently Rowan had not been expecting it.

Briefly, you envisioned the older brother with a blackened eye and had to bite back a smile.

"Anyway," Ash went on, "I didn't get much sleep last night, since he didn't come back to the room after that. I only got a call from Sage this morning saying Rowan had crashed at his place..."

You frowned. "You thought he'd come looking for me..." you said quietly in realization.

Ash glanced sideways at you, seeming to hesitate, then nodded.

"Rowan is usually just a lot of talk," he said, "But sometimes he gets carried away, and last night had me worried. I thought about calling you this morning, but I don't have your number."

"Whose number?"

You started as Robbie dropped himself into the seat across from you, having retrieved another apple.

He bit into the side of it and looked between you and Ash, eyebrows furrowed.

"Ashy," he said, "You're not trying to hit on my baby, are you?"

"Your baby?" you asked, slowly turning to eyeball the redhead, who grinned broadly; apple juice shining on his lips. "Since when I am your baby?"

"Since whenever," he said, shrugging and swallowing the chunk of apple.

"Uh-huh," you said, and glanced at Ash as he straightened somewhat and looked directly at Rob.

"Rowan threatened her last night," he told the other boy in a soft voice that had Rob stiffening.

"Excuse me?"

You noted a sudden gleam in Rob's green eyes that made you distinctly uneasy. It wasn't a look you'd seen before. Almost like a predator's stare, and it looked like he was ready to go hunting...

"You heard me," Ash said, narrowing his eyes.

"What did the rat bastard say?" demanded Rob, tossing his apple aside and miraculously managing to land it in the trash bin a few feet away.

Ash hesitated, and glanced pointedly at you.

"I'm not a kid, guys," you said, a little indignantly, frowning at both of them. "Ash, I know you're worried, but you could at least tell me what he said. If it's as bad as you're making it out to be, we should just go to the police."

To your surprise, Rob snorted and rolled his eyes.

"That's the problem with him being related to the Princeling here," he said, jerking a thumb at Ash. "His mom is wealthy and powerful and basically the stereotypical Mom-zilla. If someone threatens her babies, she either pays them to shut up or she tears them apart. I was only half kidding when I said he's part of the mob. It's pretty damn close, though."

You looked sideways at Ash, and he gave you a rueful smile and shrugged.

"Unfortunately, it's true," he sighed, and you stared. "Besides, Rowan is the favorite son. I doubt my mother would be willing to do much even if she believed me. But the police aren't going to do anything unless he gets physical. But I'm worried that's exactly what's going to happen."

Well, your first week had just gotten a whole lot more interesting, you thought, sitting back in your seat.

"You talk to Sage about it?" Rob asked, frowning as he folded his arms over his chest, and Ash nodded.

"He can't really do much, either, unfortunately," the dark haired boy said with a roll of his shoulders. "He said he'll keep an eye on Rowan so long as he's staying over at his place, but he can't exactly keep tabs on him all day, and especially not when Rowan's on campus."

"True," muttered Rob, his frown deepening and his eyebrows knitting together. "Think Glitchy would want to help out?"

"What's he going to do, Goodfell?" Ash sighed wearily. "The most he could do is install a security system in her dorm room."

"He could chip her," Rob suggested, glancing at you. He burst out laughing when you glared at him.

"I don't think so," you said threateningly, and he put his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, chicky, just take a breath. I was only kidding," he chortled, but there was still that serious look in his eyes as he winked at you.

"I have a stun gun," you told him, and looked at Ash, "And pepper spray, and I know how to use both of them."

"That's nice, hon, but Rowan knows Jiu-Jitsu and he moves like a cat," Rob said, frowning at you. "So unless you're a ninja and you just aren't telling me, I'm going to stay worried about you."

Looking at Ash, he said, "She could stay with me."

"Rowan knows where you live," sighed Ash, massaging his temples again.

"He doesn't know where I live," you inserted, glancing between both of them, arms folded over your chest.

You were getting annoyed. They were acting like this was some kind of spy movie and you were the intended target. Worse, they weren't even taking you seriously. Typical...of course they'd pin you as the damsel in distress...

"What about Sage?" Rob prompted without looking at you and you gave a huff of annoyance.

"Same issue and it doesn't make sense for her to stay with him anyway," Ash said with his head down, staring at the table.

"Hi, Rowan."

Both boys jerked up and looked around at your words, and you snorted as they finally turned to you as they ensured the second-oldest Tally brother was nowhere in sight.

"If you two idiots are done pretending I'm invisible," you said waspishly, glaring at both of them, "How about you shut up and listen to me for a second? Hm?"

Rob and Ash exchanged glances. Rob gave a half-smile, as if to say, "She's so cute when she's mad." But Ash merely sighed and turned his attention back to you.

"Okay," he said, nodding at you. "You have an idea?"

"Rowan doesn't know where I live," you said slowly. "Secondly, I've only seen him twice. Once at your dorm and then at the parking deck, and that was days ago. Obviously, running into him isn't going to be much of a concern. So unless he starts actively stalking me all over the place, I don't see why this is a problem. Also"—you pressed on when Rob looked ready to say something—"if he _does _start stalking me across campus, that just gives us something concrete to tell the police."

Ash and Rob didn't look at all convinced, but they also seemed to know arguing with you was not going to help. Besides, you had a point...

"Alright," Ash sighed at last, raking a hand through his dark hair so it stood up in the front. "But I don't want you going anywhere alone at night, okay?"

"I don't do that anyway," you said, rolling your eyes as you got to your feet, preparing to leave for your next class. "All the freaks come out at night."

"You know I do," Rob said with a suggestive wink.

You gave him a look and he snickered.


	8. Chapter 8 - Knock Knock

The rest of your day went normally enough, if you didn't count Rob and Glitch following you around like bodyguards every second. Ash would have, you knew, but his class schedule was so out of the flow with yours he would have had to skip all of them just to keep up with you. Glitch had stepped in, having run across you and the other two boys while still at lunch. After getting the debriefing from Ash, Glitch had taken it upon himself to take the dark haired boy's place in acting as your bodyguard, much to your chagrin. It was already bad enough that Rob sat so close to you in every class that you were starting to think his cologne was rubbing off on you... And then there was the fact that he'd gone and gotten a teacher in on it.

Machina, to be specific. You'd thought Rob was only joking when he and Glitch had gone with you to the professor's office, but, sure enough, the moment that white haired teacher had opened the door for you, Rob had gone out and said the magic words,

"Rowan's stalking her."

Machina had not even questioned Rob's words, merely glancing at you, then at Rob and Glitch, then back at you, and heaved a sigh.

"Of course he is," he'd said wearily, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "And you want me to do _what _about it?"

"You have him in a class, right?" Glitch had asked, earning him a startled look from you.

"Next class, actually," Machina had confirmed, leaning in the doorway and frowning. "What do you want me to do? Keep him five hours after writing lines?"

"Hey," Rob had looked excited at the idea, but Machina had given him a dark look.

"I can't do that, Goodfell, you know that."

Rob had ducked his head in dejection, but Glitch had stepped up.

"Couldn't you just keep an eye on him for us?" he'd asked, frowning. "At least while he's in class? You have my number. If he leaves early or something just give us a heads up."

Machina had looked uncertain, but then glanced at you once again, and you must have looked more alarmed than you felt because he'd relented.

"Alright," he'd sighed, putting his hands up. "But I can't do more than that, guys. If you really want to get somewhere, I suggest you take it up with his brother."

"What's Ashy going to do?" Rob had snorted, and gotten himself a dirty look from Machina.

"His _other _brother, Robert," he'd said in clear exasperation. "Sage."

"Oh." Rob had blinked and grinned sheepishly. "I knew that."

"Uh-huh," Machina had muttered, and sent you all on your way.

From there on, it had felt more or less like some kind of dream being walked to and from classes by either Rob or Glitch, or both. At times, it was comical, since Glitch favored coasting alongside you on his long board instead of walking, which put him going half a mile at the _most_.

Finally, though, it got tiring, and you even snapped at Rob when he chose to hover outside the girl's bathroom.

"Rob," you had said, drumming your fingernails on your hip as you'd glared at him, "Rowan is _not _going to come creeping in the girl's bathroom, okay?"

"But he might," Rob had said, frowning, but there had been amusement in his eyes.

"Yeah, right after you," you'd snorted, rolling your eyes.

He hadn't hovered so close after that, though he certainly hadn't let you out of his sight, either. Not until he had to leave for class, that was. Fortunately, and unfortunately, you had still had Glitch around, and he'd insisted on going back to your dorm with you.

"To be safe," he'd said when you'd given him an exasperated look.

You found it hard to believe that Rowan would start actively creeping on you all over campus, and you hadn't seen him all day. Not like you ever did. You hadn't seen him since that night at the parking deck, and it seemed like Ash had gotten the others riled up over nothing.

Still, if they weren't going to lay off of you until this whole thing simmered down, you might as well humor them...

So, it was with a little reluctance that you allowed Glitch to come back to your dorm with you. It was late, about six, when you got to the dorm. Thankfully, your late class had been cancelled for the day, so you didn't have to worry about that. That just left you with a very paranoid Glitch for however long he decided to stay...

Sighing, you let yourself and your hovering classmate into your room, and flicked on the lights. You were lucky to not have a roommate, since that left you with the ability to be as messy as you liked. Unfortunately, that also meant you hadn't considered picking up a bit before you'd left that morning, and it was with some anxiety that you hurried to kick a bra under your bed before Glitch could spot it.

He, however, seemed too busy peering out of your fourth floor window at the streets below.

Like some kind of Secret Service Agent, you thought wryly, giving a brief, exasperated smile.

"Looks good," he said, turning back to look at you.

You slowly raised an eyebrow.

"You don't say," you said, folding your arms over your chest and smirking at him.

He had the grace to look embarrassed and raked a hand through his spiky black hair, his violet eyes scanning the rest of the room as though to distract himself.

Fighting down a laugh, you turned away as your phone started to ring from the pocket of your purse.

Stooping, you snatched the device out of your bag and checked the ID. You were surprised to see Ash's number flashing across the screen.

Frowning, you hit OK and put the phone to your ear.

"Hello?" you answered.

"Hey," Ash's weary voice sounded through the receiver.

"Hey," you returned, "Is everything okay?"

"Fine," he sighed. "Just calling to see if you got home okay."

"Yes, I did," you sighed, rolling your eyes and putting a hand on your hip. "Glitch escorted me back to my dorm like a true gentlemen."

You shot a look at the aforementioned boy, who gave you a sheepish grin, hands in his pockets as he scuffed his trainers across the carpet.

"Did he leave already?" Ash asked.

"No, he's still here," you said, turning towards Glitch. "Did you want to talk to him?"

"No, that's fine," Ash said, sounding amused. "Is he planning on spending the night?"

"He'd better not be, 'cause I'm kicking him out in a few minutes," you answered with a snort that had Glitch eyeing you a little warily.

Ash chuckled on the other end.

"Alright. I just wanted to make sure you were safe," he sighed.

"I'm fine, Ash, calm yourself," you said, smiling resignedly. "Even if Rowan was lurking around, I don't think he'd find my room before dawn."

"Don't say things like that," Ash said, "I'm already not sleeping well as it is."

"Aw, poor baby," you chided, and he snorted.

"Well, get some rest," he advised you.

"You first," you retorted. "Sounds like you need it. Is Rowan there?"

"No, thankfully...I imagine he's still crashing with Sage. I was going to call over there in a bit just to double check."

"You paranoid little man," you scolded him. "I thought it was the big brother's job to check up on the younger brother."

"If Rowan would _act _older, I wouldn't bother," Ash said, and you snickered. "Anyway. Get some sleep. I'll call you in the morning. Did you still want to go to the lake?"

"Sure," you said, smiling at the idea.

"Great," he said softly, and you felt your stomach give a giddy little flip. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah," you said.

"Goodnight," he murmured.

"Night," you mumbled back, and hung up.

"Your face," Glitch said as you shoved your phone into your back pocket, "Is _sooo _red right now."

He was grinning from ear to ear, and only grinned all the more broadly as you glared at him.

"You jealous?" you asked haughtily.

"Nah," he said, shrugging. "That's Goodfell's job."

"Uh-huh," you said, eyeing him cynically. "Well, I'm kicking you out now."

"You're kidding," he said, looking dismayed.

"No," you said, clicking your tongue. "What? Did you really think you were going to sleep here? I only have one bed."

He gave the carpet a thoughtful once over.

"No, sir," you snapped, jabbing a finger at him. "It's bad enough you and the others are walking me everywhere like I can't do it myself."

"Fine," he sighed, rolling his eyes as you pointed him towards the door. "But you call if something happens."

"Yeah, yeah," you said, shooing him along so he was grinning again.

"Night, girlie," he said, waving a hand over his shoulder as he exited.

"Night," you called, rolling your eyes as you closed the door.

You peered through the peephole just to make sure he didn't hang out in the hallway, but he vanished around the corner and a moment later you heard the elevator ding and breathed a sigh of relief as you slumped against the door.

"Boys," you muttered, shaking your head as you turned back to face your now empty, but still messy, room.

You paused, thinking whether or not you were in the mood for a shower or homework first. You didn't get much time to think about it as someone rapped smartly on your door.

Heaving a sigh, you turned to glare at the door.

"I swear," you muttered, stalking over and peering through the eyehole, spying Glitch's spiky black hair as he lounged outside.

Sighing, you started to pull open the door, "What, Glitch, did you forget someth—"

You froze, your eyes shooting wide open, as Rowan turned to face you, a small smirk curving the corners of his mouth. He eyed you for a moment as you stood paralyzed in the doorway, and his icy blue eyes smoldered at you.

"Evening," he purred.


	9. Chapter 9 - Bad Idea

Your whole face drained of color as you stared up at the smirking boy in your doorway, and you felt your fingers go numb as you clutched the doorframe. Your heart started to drumroll in your chest, and you swallowed a lump in your throat before you could choke on it.

"Rowan," you managed to get out, and thought his smirk broadened as he looked down at you.

"Hello," he purred. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

You tried to say yes, but he arched his eyebrows and you blurted out, "No," before you could stop yourself.

"May I come in?" he asked lightly.

You hesitated, alarm bells going off in every corner of your mind until your head throbbed. Now that question required a definite 'no', but your mouth had gone very dry, and your throat closed somewhat as you tried to force the word out through your teeth.

"I..." you said slowly, "I don't think so."

Rowan's smirk became somewhat sardonic.

"I guess Ash told you about our fight," he said, lifting an eyebrow.

You hesitated, but he didn't seem to need your confirmation to know. Sighing, he raked a hand through his spiky hair and flashed you an almost sheepish smile.

"Not my best moment, I'll admit," he said, shrugging, and you noticed for the first time that he had a small cut under his right eye. It looked fresh, and you figured you knew where it came from. "I'm afraid Ash might have taken it the wrong way, though. He tends to do that."

"Really?" you said, frowning, unconvinced.

Your hand itched towards your back pocket, and you longed to pull out your phone and text Ash, but something told you Rowan would stop you. Briefly, you remembered Rob's earlier comment on how the Tally brother knew Jiu Jitsu, and your stomach sank. You became hyper aware of Rowan's muscular build as he leaned a hip in the doorjamb, and you swallowed the sudden panic that welled up in your throat.

He wouldn't try anything...not in a dorm full of people. At least you hoped he wouldn't.

"Could we talk?" he asked softly, and you blinked at him, startled.

"Um..." You frowned. "Sure. What about?"

He shrugged, giving a little half smile. "Stuff," he said lamely. "Really, I just came over here on the spur of the moment."

"Uh-huh," you mumbled, "And how did you know where my dorm was?"

"I didn't," he said, his expression plainly amused. "I was visiting a friend a few rooms over."

He jerked his head to side, indicating a room down the hall. You had seen the girl who lived there a few times, but you two had never spoken. She was usually too busy texting or checking herself in her compact.

"I saw Tucker leaving," Rowan went on, "And I heard your voice."

Of course he had, you thought, not at all reassured.

He smirked as you eyed him. "What?" he asked in a teasing voice. "Did you think I was stalking you?"

_Yes_, you thought, but shrugged.

"Ash made it sound like you were saying some...not so nice stuff," you told him, folding your arms over your chest to hide your trembling fingertips.

"I'll admit, I was in a bad mood that night," he confessed, rolling his shoulders and giving you an apologetic look that you weren't convinced was real. "I went to Sage's to cool off for a while, but I get the feeling that Ash is still not quite ready to see me again. But, has something happened?"

He frowned at you now, looking concerned.

"What?" you asked, confused.

"I've seen Ash and Tucker walking you to your classes," he said, tilting his head. "I thought maybe someone had threatened you."

Well, he wasn't wrong, you thought, but what did you tell him? You got the feeling if you said the only reason Ash, Glitch, and Rob were walking you to classes was become of him that he would take it badly.

"It's nothing," you said as smoothly as you could manage, and knew he didn't believe you when he arched his eyebrows at you.

"I'm going to guess it's me they're worried about," he said.

Your hesitation must have been answer enough because he sighed.

"Look," he murmured, and you tensed a bit as he reached out to brush back a strand of your hair, "I know I can come across a little...arrogant sometimes, but I hope that doesn't give you a reason to think I'd hurt you."

It wasn't the arrogance that concerned you so much as the fact that everyone else you had spoken to, including Sage and Ash, made it sound like he was the kind of guy you should be avoiding.

"I really want to talk about this," he said, still frowning at you. "If I'm not allowed in, would you at least come out?"

Not for the first time, you hesitated. You really didn't want to step out of your room...you also didn't want to let him in. Compromise, what was the compromise? Other than standing in the doorway like an idiot?

You exhaled slowly, trying to think without looking too suspicious, and stuffed your hands into the pockets of your jeans while you thought. Your hand came up against a small note card in your pocket, and you frowned, looking down as you dug it out.

A number. Sage's number.

"Um," you said, staring at the number, then quickly shoving it back into your pocket.

"We could grab something to eat," he suggested idly, shrugging. "The café on campus?"

Bad idea...very bad idea...but...

"Sure," you said before you could second guess yourself, "Just gimme a sec?"

If he was surprised by your agreeing, he didn't show it, and merely nodded and stepped back so you could close the door.

The moment it was shut, you considered just leaving it that way until he got the message, but something nagged at the back of your mind. You knew Rowan was a flirtatious pain in the ass, but that was about all you'd really heard about him. Ash hadn't told you what he'd said about you, and, if you had to be honest, Ash had been the one to throw the first—and seemingly only—punch. Not Rowan. Sighing, you raked a hand through your hair, thinking hard and fast. You were the person who always tried to see both sides of the situation, but you only had one side so far.

You didn't think the guys would lie to you, and especially not Ash, but you got the feeling that he wasn't being completely honest with you either. After all, he had a biased account of everything, and as far as you could tell, Glitch and Rob just had Ash's word on it.

You jammed the heels of your hand into your eyes, thinking.

You didn't want to call Ash. You got the feeling he'd come charging over without stopping to think about what was going on. Even if Rowan wasn't doing anything wrong, he'd come over and probably get into another fight with his brother, and that was the last thing you wanted. So...

Your fingers dug into the pocket of your jeans and fished out the rumpled up piece of paper. You eyed it for a long moment, then drew a breath and pulled out your phone to punch in the numbers.

You glanced at the door and peered through the peep hole to see that Rowan was still waiting patiently on the other side as the line started to ring.

It got to three rings, and then the line clicked.

"Hello?"

Your breath stilled for a moment as Sage's voice sounded quietly through the receiver.

"Um, Sage?" Your teeth tugged on your lower lip.

"Yes?"

"Hi, you, uh...gave me your number the other night."

"Yes," he said, and you could hear the alertness in his voice. "Rowan is there?"

"Yes, but, could you do a favor for me?" you asked, nibbling on your lip.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Could you meet me at the campus café in...half an hour?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then he sighed. "Are you going there with him?"

"Yeah," you mumbled, flinching at the disapproval in his tone. "Look, I just keep hearing all the wrong from you and everyone else, but..."

"You want the other side," he said knowingly.

"Yeah," you mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of your shirt.

There was another pause, and you thought you heard a set of keys jingle.

"I'll do you that favor if you do another for me," he bargained.

"Yeah?" you asked hesitantly.

"Keep me on the line while you're walking to the café," he said.

You frowned, but nodded. "Okay. I'll have to keep the phone in my pocket, though."

"That's fine, just don't hang up," he instructed. "I'll be at the café in a corner booth."

"Okay," you sighed, raking a hand through your hair.

"Oh, and one more thing," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Don't kiss him."

You blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Just don't," he said, and he sounded amused. "I'd hate to have to be the second person to hit him this week."

You could feel your cheeks starting to flush with color, and cleared your throat.

"Alright, then," you mumbled. "I'm putting the phone in my pocket now."

"Alright," he sighed.

Remembering not to press end, you slid the phone carefully into the pocket of a jacket and shrugged into the item of clothing before walking back to the door and opening it.

Rowan smiled at you as you exited, double checking your pockets to make sure you had your keys before turning to face him.

"So," you said as calmly as you could manage, praying you hadn't just made a fatal error. "The café?"


	10. Chapter 10 - Happily Ever After - Maybe?

You weren't sure what you had expected when you left your dorm with Rowan. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you had been picturing that he'd throw an arm around your shoulders, or maybe steer you down a dark alleyway not to be discovered until morning. That wasn't what happened, however. The only move he made to touch you was to take your arm and gently steer you out of the way of a cluster of rambunctious boys from the neighboring dorm as they staggered by, yelling and hiccupping loudly. But even after you were out of harm's way, he kept a hand lightly resting over yours. You finally pulled your hand away after your heartbeat exceeded normal level, and he didn't try to stop you.

He also stayed to the most brightly lit and crowded areas of campus as you made your way to the café, as though he was ensuring that you two would be seen, and you weren't sure if it reassured or concerned you. On the one hand, if anyone wanted to kidnap you, they were going to have a hell of a time doing it, and on the other hand, your paranoid, murder-mystery loving mind was screaming "alibi" at you, until you were forced to give yourself a mental shake and pull it together.

You got to the café in one piece, and Rowan held the door as you stepped inside. The inside was at least ten degrees warmer than the frigid autumn air outside, and you sighed in relief as you felt blood returning to your fingers and cheeks. Being the hour that it was, there weren't many other customers in the little shop. A few late night crammers here and there bent over their laptops and text books, looks of desperation on their faces, and untouched cups of coffee beside them.

You started as Rowan touched your shoulder, and you looked around as he gestured towards the counter.

"Would you like anything?" he asked.

"Um..." You hesitated, frowning at the menu, scanning quickly for something. "Just...a tea, I guess."

He nodded and walked over to the counter to place the order. You stood awkwardly where he'd left you, fidgeting with the cuffs of your jacket, and glancing around. You didn't see Sage yet, but you had said half an hour, and that left at least twenty more minutes for him to get here. For some reason, the thought of the elder Tally brother coming to watch your back made you feel oddly giddy...until you remembered you still had him on the phone in your pocket.

You glanced over to make sure Rowan was distracted placing orders before you quickly pulled the device out of your pocket and put it to your ear.

"Sage?"

There was a pause, then a slight rustling on the other end.

"Yes?"

You sighed in relief at the sound of his voice.

"We're at the café," you murmured, keeping your back to Rowan, watching his reflection in the window to make sure you knew when he turned around.

"So am I," he said, and you blinked in alarm.

"Where?" you muttered, glancing around, very certain you had not seen him.

"Somewhere," he said evasively.

"Sage," you sighed.

"He's turning around," he warned you, and you glanced up at the window to see Rowan looking at you.

"Okay, cool," you said idly, feeling your heart thump as Rowan raised an eyebrow at you. "Talk to you later."

"Uh-huh," said Sage, sounding amused, and the line disconnected.

"Friend?" Rowan asked as you turned back to him and accepted the tea he handed you.

"Yeah," you said, not exactly lying. "Glitch was calling about a quiz we have. Wanted to know if I'd like to study with him tomorrow."

The way Rowan eyed you for a second made your insides shrivel, and you got the horrible feeling that he didn't believe you. But then he shrugged and smiled easily, gesturing towards a nearby booth.

You took a seat, and he slid into the bench across from you.

"So," you said, clearing your throat, "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes," he agreed, reaching to the little bowls of creamer and sugar and taking a few of each, beginning to dump them in his coffee.

You fidgeted with the rim of your tea, waiting for him to speak.

"So," he sighed after he'd finished emptying the fifth cream into his mug and starting to stir the mixture, "What has my brother told you about me, exactly?"

You frowned at him. This didn't really sound like him trying to give you his side of things...

"Nothing much," you said, shrugging. "Just that I shouldn't really trust you."

"Ah," he said, his lips curving in the tiniest of smirks. "That sounds like Ash. And what has Sage told you about me?"

You blinked, heart thudding unsteadily against your ribs.

"I don't really talk to Sage," you told him, but you glanced down too quickly.

When you peered up at him, his sapphire eyes were glinting with knowing, and his smirk was more pronounced.

"Then why did you call him earlier?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.

Yeah, this was not good...

"What do you—" you started, but Rowan leaned towards you across the table, and you retreated in alarm, staring at him.

He inched something towards you, and you glanced down to see the crumpled note card with Sage's number on it. You stared at it, then at Rowan.

"When did you—?" you squeaked.

"It fell out of your pocket on the way," he said lazily, shrugging. "I was going to give it back, then recognized the number. Or have you just been carrying this around for kicks?"

In a moment of annoyance, you glared at him.

"I thought you were going to tell me why I shouldn't think you're a jerk or a creep," you snapped at him.

His eyes gleamed.

"Would you really have believed me?" he asked with a sigh, reclining in his seat, still smirking at you.

"Maybe," you said, frowning.

"Doubtful," he chuckled, narrowing those blue eyes.

"Well, I won't now," you said, crossing your arms over your chest and scowling at him.

"You were the one who tattled to my big brother," he reminded you, wagging a finger, as though chastising you. "That's not exactly a great show of trust."

"Maybe you should tell me what it was you said to Ash the other night that got him so pissed off he decided to deck you," you suggested, narrowing your eyes as well.

When Rowan's expression gave way to shock for a split second, you couldn't help your smirk. Bingo.

"Ash has no sense of humor," he sighed, shaking his head. "He takes everything so seriously."

"Maybe he should."

Rowan smirked and snickered. "Maybe," he agreed softly, eyeing you. "I mean, I wouldn't mind doing some of those things..."

You felt an uneasy coiling in your gut and resisted the urge to shift in your seat. No reason to give him the satisfaction of knowing he creeped you out—though chances were he already had a good idea.

"What things?" you asked, frowning at him.

"I'd hate to embarrass you in public," he said, taking a slow sip of his coffee, watching you intently over the rim.

You scoffed. "I think you're all talk," you told him.

"I think you'd like to believe I'm all talk," he murmured, setting the mug back down.

You felt a lump in your throat, and swallowed hard. "You can't hurt me," you murmured in a hushed voice.

"Why would I hurt you?" he asked, still smirking broadly. "That's just mean. Besides, it'd be easy enough to do it."

"Do what?" you demanded.

His eyes darkened. "Seduce you," he said simply, shrugging.

You gaped at him. He _had _to be kidding...

You jumped as something lightly brushed your hand, and glanced down to find Rowan's fingers trailing over the back of your wrist.

Okay, so maybe not...

Snatching your hand back, you stood up.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked lightly, rising as well.

"Yes," you said, not meeting his eyes as you edged out of the booth and started for the door.

"You haven't even heard my side of things," he said, staying with you every step of the way.

"I think I've got the idea," you said, reaching for the door.

You were surprised that he didn't stop you, but you should have guessed that was because he wanted to get you outside. Out of view.

The moment you were both out in the cool air, he gripped your upper arm and pulled you over to a shadowy corner just outside the doors, behind a narrow brick wall, so even if someone _did _come outside, they wouldn't see you.

"Let go," you snapped, jerking your arm free.

He allowed you, then leaned forward to brace his arms on either side of you, smirking.

"I will scream," you warned him.

"Simmer down, girlie, if I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't have waited," he scoffed lightly, rolling his eyes, still smirking.

That didn't make you feel better.

"So what do you want?" you asked, still pressed against the wall behind you as you tried to keep as much distance from him as you could.

"To tell you my side of things," he said simply.

"You're crazy," you muttered, hardly able to believe him.

"Probably," he agreed with a soft sigh, dropping his arms.

You breathed a sigh of relief, but then his hands were on either side of your face, holding you still, and he had dipped his head to yours.

You were too stunned to move at first, and merely stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide in shock, as his cool lips moved over yours. He took a step forward, his body crowding yours, pushing you against the wall, and he exhaled a soft sigh. That jerked you back to reality, and you began to struggle.

"I'm not finished talking," he murmured, cracking open his blue eyes to look down at you.

"She thinks you are," said a voice, and a hand came around Rowan's throat, forcibly shoving him off of you and onto the ground.

Rowan coughed, massaging his throat, as he lay sprawled in the grass, glaring up at Sage as the taller brother casually inserted himself between you and his sibling.

You couldn't see his expression, but the stiffness of his shoulders and the way he was slowly flexing his right hand sent a chill down your spine. He looked ready to jump his brother, but instead asked you,

"Are you alright?"

"Fine," you managed after a second of shock, wiping your mouth on the back of your hand. "Just...fine."

"Hm," he said, still facing Rowan.

"Oh, so she _did _call you," sneered the younger, pushing himself to his feet and taking a menacing step towards his brother.

"Back off, Rowan," Sage warned him quietly. "I'd hate to have to explain to mother why you ended up in the hospital for the second time this week."

Rowan made an ugly expression, swore, and flipped his brother the bird.

"_Back off_," Sage said again, even more softly this time.

Rowan seemed to deliberate for a moment, then glanced at you as you still stood against the wall, wide eyed, and smirked.

"Fine," he said, stepping off from Sage and putting his hands up, though you had the feeling he was far from surrendering.

As he looked at you again, though, his expression shifted for a split second, and you thought you saw something like resignation as he looked you over, but then his smirk was back and you were sure you'd imagined it.

"Later," he said, waving at you.

"Don't think so," you said curtly, arms folded tight across your chest. Your lips were still tingling from his kiss, and you weren't sure whether you enjoyed that or not...

Rowan didn't seem perturbed by your brush off, however, and merely shrugged before turning and sauntering off the way he'd come. Only when he was out of sight did Sage take a slow, calming breath, and turn to face you. His expression was smoothed out, but there was a hardness in his emerald eyes that didn't go away as he looked you over.

"I thought I told you not to kiss him," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't kiss him," you snapped, glaring. "_He _kissed _me._"

It was only then you saw the amusement in Sage's eyes and stalked over to punch him in the shoulder.

"You jerk, I thought you were serious!"

He chuckled, then became serious again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," you sighed, pushing a hand through your hair. "Just...kind of stunned, I guess."

Sage eyed you for a moment, then abruptly took your hand.

"Whoa, hey!"

"Come on," he said, still leading you along.

"My dorm is the other way," you said, confused.

"I know," he said, startling you.

"You know?" you asked. He didn't respond.

Five minutes later, you were outside of another dorm; one of those suite styles you had no hope of affording. Sage went up to one of the first floor doors and knocked three times. There was a long pause, and then the lock clicked back and a sleepy eyed Rob poked his disheveled head through the doorway.

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it," he said to Sage, not seeing you. "I have witnesses."

"Guilty conscience, Goodfell?" Sage asked, then brought you forward. "I need you to let her stay here."

Rob blinked in surprise at you, then at Sage. "Rowan?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Sage nodded.

"Goody," snorted Rob, then opened the door. You felt your face flush to see him in nothing but a pair of boxers. "Come on in, chickadee. Though I'll warn you, the cat snores."


	11. Chapter 11 - If the Shoe Fits

The inside of Rob's apartment was dark, as none of the lights were on, save the plasma TV set against the wall, which appeared to be paused in the middle of some Shakespearean reenactment. You weren't sure which one. What surprised you about the place, however, wasn't the darkness, or the faint smell of pizza that circulated around the room, but that it was probably cleaner than your own room, and you didn't consider yourself a messy person.

"Well, chickadee, I know it's not Buckingham Palace, but here we are," Rob said grandly from behind you, clapping you on the shoulder. "Mi hovel es su hovel."

You glanced at him, fighting a smile, but failing when he waggled his eyebrows at you. Sage was still lounging in the doorway, watching you steadily.

"Hey, don't be a stranger," Rob chastised him, also noting that the eldest Tally was dawdling. "Come on in. I swear the roaches are friendly."

"I can't stay, unfortunately," Sage said, giving a wry smile. "I just wanted to make sure she had a place to stay until I can get this settled."

"What exactly happened, if you don't mind my asking?" Rob asked, frowning and crossing his arms over his bare chest.

Sage looked pointedly at you.

"What?" you asked, frowning as Rob also turned to eyeball you.

"Well, considering you were an active party to this event, I think you should tell the story," Rob suggested, fiery eyebrows shooting up.

You glanced between him and Sage, feeling a distinct discomfort settling in the pit of your stomach. Sage merely cocked an eyebrow as well, his expression unyielding. Obviously, he wasn't going to be of any help.

"Glitch walked me back to my dorm," you began after surrendering to the idea neither of them was going to let up.

"And?" Rob prompted sweetly.

You shot him a dark look. "How about you be quiet so I can tell the story, sir?" you asked coolly, eyebrows shooting up.

He gave you a sheepish grin, but put up his hands in surrender and went quiet.

"He hung around for a bit and then left," you went on when you were sure he wouldn't interrupt again, "I closed my door and locked it. A few minutes later, someone knocked. I figured it was him and looked through the peephole. The person had spiky black hair so I opened the door."

"Not him," guessed Rob with a grimace.

You shrugged. "Apparently Rowan has a friend who lives on my hall and saw Glitch leave."

"Of course he did," muttered Rob in disgust, his normally bright eyes darkening as they narrowed.

"Wait, it gets better," Sage told him, his expression weary.

"Does it now?" Rob asked, eyebrows shooting up, and he looked at you expectantly. "Well, then, let's hear it."

You shot Sage a dirty look that he pretended not to notice, and heaved a sigh.

"Rowan...said he wanted to explain things," you began slowly, and immediately saw Rob's expression freeze over and his jaw tighten, "Hey, don't jump down my throat yet!"

"Yet," Sage repeated, eyes on the ceiling.

"Would you hush?" you snapped at him.

"No," he said, frowning at you, "Because you deliberately put yourself in a situation that you should not have been in, which is why we are here to begin with."

"I called you, didn't I?" you asked waspishly, glaring at him.

"You did," he admitted, "But you also still went out with Rowan instead of staying in your dorm."

"Oh, yes, because letting him in my room was such a good idea," you scoffed. "I was trying to keep him out of my room. He doesn't need to know where I sleep."

"He already does," Rob muttered under his breath, which earned him a withering look from you. "Look, chickadee, I guess the ending of all this is are you okay?"

"I'm fine," you huffed, hands on hips, "It's you two that are overreacting."

"Define overreacting," Sage said coolly, arching a dark eyebrow. "He had you pinned to a wall."

Rob slowly turned to face the elder Tally as you winced. "Excuse me? He did WHAT now?" the redhead asked slowly, his green eyes fairly glittering with anger at this point.

Sage nodded at you, clearly illustrating that you should continue with the rest of the story. Taking the hint, Robbie turned to you, eyebrows up to his hairline.

"Well?" he asked, clicking his tongue.

"Yes, he pinned me to a wall," you sighed, really starting to wish that Sage would just leave and stop making things worse.

"Sweetheart, I think I've just found viable cause to lock you in a tower and throw away the key," Robbie told you, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Why would you even agree to go anywhere with-and not to speak ill of anyone's family-that little son of a bitch?"

He chanced a glance at Sage, and when the eldest Tally brother merely smirked he turned back to you and waited.

"Is it wrong to want to know if there was another side of the story?" you asked, feeling more sulky than anything else now. You knew you'd made a mistake. Sure.

You understood now that it had been stupid to go with Rowan in the first place. But did Robbie and Sage have to treat you like a child because of it?

"No, it's not wrong," sighed Rob, and you startled as he threw an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into a one-armed hug, "But, jeez, girlie, if you're going to scare the hell out of me, can't you find a way that doesn't involve Ashton's psycho brother? We're just worried about you. Rowan's got his radar locked on you, and until we figure out how to get it off, we all just want to make sure you're okay."

You glanced up at him, and he flashed his trademark grin, giving your shoulders a gentle squeeze. You sighed and returned the smile, then looked over at Sage.

"Sorry," you mumbled, feeling childish.

"Don't be," he told you, offering a small smile, "Just stay away from my brother. And don't kiss him again."

With that, he stepped out of the apartment and shut the door behind him, leaving you to stand in sudden silence with Robbie. You slowly peered up at the redhead, and winced to see him staring at you.

"Come again?" he asked, clicking his tongue.

Damn it, Sage...you were starting to think he liked getting you in trouble...or maybe he was just hopeful Robbie WOULD lock you up in a tower...

"So..." Robbie gave you a slow once over, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Robbie Goodfell, I am a split second away from slapping you," you warned him, and he cracked a grin.

"You wouldn't hit a man in nothing but boxers, would you?" he asked sweetly.

"If he keeps haggling me, I will," you told him, glaring.

"Alright, alright," he chortled, sliding his arm away from your shoulders and clapping you on the back. "C'mon, you. Let's see if I can't find you a spot to sleep. The couch is taken, but I think there's room in the bed if you don't mind sharing."

"I think I'm better off sharing with the cat," you said.

"I know," said Rob, "That's why I said there's room in the bed. He's already taken up half of it. Why do you think I sleep on the couch?"


	12. Chapter 12 - Onward and Upward

The next morning was odd, to say the least. You woke up with Rob's ten-ton orange tabby cat sprawled across your chest, snoring, and the sound of the early morning news droning from the living room. Shoving the feline off of you, you rolled out of bed and stretched. Rob's borrowed t-shirt hung down around your knees as you slid tiredly out of bed and slouched out to join him in the front room.

He was fully dressed, sprawled on the couch munching on a piece of toast. A jar of apple butter sat in his lap, and between bites of toast he spooned large dollops straight into his mouth.

"Rob, that is so gross," you said, grimacing.

He turned to look at you, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed, and gave you a cheeky grin. Bits of apple butter stuck to his teeth.

"You should try it, girlie, it's actually really good," he told you, and offered you the jar.

"I'll pass," you sighed, pushing a hand through your hair, wincing as your fingers caught in the tangles.

He eyed you for a moment, then smirked and looked away, looking unnaturally smug about something.

"What?" you asked skeptically.

"Nothin'," he said, shrugging. You didn't buy it.

"Rob..." You started, but at the very moment you opened your mouth, the doorbell rang.

"Whoops, I better get that," he said, jumping over the back of the couch in a rare act of agility, somehow managing to place the jar of apple butter neatly on the counter as he booked for the door.

Sighing, you shuffled into the kitchen to see if he had anything edible. While you scrounged in the fridge, you listened to him opening the front door.

"Oh, good, you're here," he said as you straightened up after digging a bag of bagels out of the bottom drawer. "Come on in. The little princess just woke up."

"I can hear you Goodfell," you snapped, and heard him snicker as you dug a knife out of the drawer to spread butter on the bagel.

Rob sauntered back into the kitchen area, looking even smugger than before, and it made you pause, eyeing him warily with the knife half towards the bagel in your hand.

"What?" you asked slowly.

He shrugged and slipped by you to the fridge, conveniently dipping out of sight behind the door just as Sage appeared around the corner, and froze as he spotted you.

You couldn't understand his expression at first. It was a mixture of annoyed and forced calm, but then he gave you a quick up and down, taking in Rob's borrowed shirt, and his eyes narrowed.

You suddenly had a very strong urge to kick Rob in the rear as he bent to dig orange juice out of the fridge, but resisted. No wonder the idiot had looked so smug. He'd obviously known Sage was going to drop by and also that Sage seeing you in Rob's shirt was going to irk him.

"I need to change," you declared, setting your bagel and the knife down on the counter and turning away.

"Into what? Your nasty clothes from last night?" Rob asked, straightening and turning to look at you, a fiendish gleam in his emerald eyes.

"They were not nasty," you huffed, hands on hips as you glared at him, trying to ignore the intent look Sage was giving you.

"They had Rowan slime all over them, of course they were nasty," Rob snorted, opening the orange juice and taking a swig straight from the container.

"I think I'll survive," you said, rolling your eyes and turning away again.

"You'll have to wait then, girlie, they're in the wash," he informed you, and when you whipped back around he was struggling to hide a smirk behind his second swig of orange juice.

You narrowed your eyes at him. "I should thank you for doing that," you began.

"Yes, you should," he chimed, smiling cheerfully.

"But I won't, because you knew Sage was coming over and didn't tell me."

"Chickadee, if you'd been up, believe me, you would have heard about it," he told you, "But you were snoring louder than the cat."

You glared. "I was not."

He cocked an eyebrow. "As you like," he said, and downed the rest of the orange juice before chucking the container into the nearby recycling bin.

"Why are you here so early anyway?" you asked then, turning to Sage to distract yourself from punching Rob.

"Define early," he said coolly, glancing at his watch.

Frowning, you glanced towards the stovetop and gave a startled squeak. It was 1 in the afternoon.

"Rob, you jerk, why didn't you wake me up?!" you demanded, rounding on Rob again, who gave you a very innocent look.

"Because it's Saturday?" he said, very clearly trying not to smile.

You froze. "Oh..." You could feel yourself starting to blush under both Rob's and Sage's gazes and busied yourself with your bagel again just for something to keep from having to look at them. "So...why are you here?" you asked Sage when you'd recovered some or your dignity.

"Because," Sage began, and when you glanced at him, he had pinned Rob with a very deliberate look, "Someone took the liberty of slashing Rowan's tires last night. He called me at the crack of dawn to come pick him up from the city."

You took a turn to look at Rob, who was very deliberately examining the expiration date on the bottle of apple juice he'd dug out of the fridge.

"Seriously?" you asked, raising an eyebrow at the redhead, who gave you the most innocent look you thought anyone could ever manage as he looked up at you.

"I didn't do it," he said indignantly. When Sage snorted inelegantly, he added, "Alone."

"Who helped you?" you asked, stunned.

"Hey, I'm no snitch," he said, turning his nose up. When you raised both eyebrows at him he grinned sheepishly. "Glitch."

"Wow, Rob...And when did you have time to do this? You don't even have a car!"

He shrugged. "Glitch has a car. A very fast car. A very fast, very quiet car that Rowan didn't notice while he was partying his face off at the club with the other frat boys."

You sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of your nose. You didn't know whether to be exasperated, annoyed, or amazed. You were somewhere between all three at the moment.

"That was rash," you told him, frowning.

"Hardly," said Sage, arms folded over his chest. "That was masterfully planned. You only slashed three."

Rob grinned broadly while you frowned in confusion.

"Why three?" you asked, bewildered. "Is that code or something?"

"Yeah, to the insurance company it means 'pay out of pocket, loser'," Robbie informed you with a very satisfied grin.

"My mother was not pleased," Sage told him. "She's already called the school to make a complaint."

"Did my name come up?"

"More than likely," replied Sage, shrugging. "You are most certainly on her list."

"Ah, well. She's been trying to get me expelled since I got here," Robbie sighed, hopping up to sit on the counter and leaning his back against the cabinets. "And, hey, she hasn't managed it."

"Yet," inserted Sage, to which Rob snorted. "By the way, Goodfell, the next time you decide to make Rowan's life hell, keep in mind that _I _am responsible for him, per my mother's demands. So if you decide to strand him somewhere, make it so no one but the National Guard can get him out. I was not exactly happy to be woken at 5 AM with him griping and complaining about his car. Or having him nearly throw up in the backseat of mine."

"Oooh, tough luck, man," Robbie whistled, though he did look a little meek. "Sorry 'bout that. Next time we'll stick him down a man hole. Sound good?"

Sage heaved a sigh and exchanged a look with you. His gaze flickered over the shirt again, and his expression darkened the slightest bit.

"What?" you asked, a little affronted. "It was all I had."

His lips twitched in an almost smile. "I'd have lent you mine if you'd asked. But I suppose it is a step up from Rowan slime. Albeit a small one."

"Hey, now!" Robbie looked insulted. "It's clean!"

"It's yours," Sage told him, looking unimpressed.


	13. Chapter 13 - And Away We Go

Twenty minutes later you were in the passenger seat of Sage's black convertible. Robbie was sulking in the back, having been denied the privilege of riding shotgun. The sky was crystal clear and brilliantly blue as Sage cruised off campus and towards the lake. Ash had called shortly after you'd all piled into the car to let Sage know he'd meet up with everyone at the family's lake house. As far as anyone could tell, Rowan had not been made privy to the trip, and hopefully would be too hungover to make an appearance.

Cruising down the mostly empty side roads along the university with the sun shining and the wind in your hair, it was hard to really care what Rowan was up to. Especially when Robbie started singing "Life is a Highway" at the top of his lungs and Sage turned the radio on full volume in a vain attempt to drown him out. You tried to keep from laughing, but the combating sounds of Rob's spur of the moment solo and the radio blasting "Party in the USA" was just too much and you were almost in tears from laughing by the time Sage cruised up to the iron wrought gates that surrounded the lakeside housing community.

Rob had the broadest grin on his face as Sage flicked off the radio and turned to pin him with a steely look over the rims of his sunglasses.

"If you ever," the elder Tally said in a low voice, "Do that again, you'll be on the side of the road panhandling before you have time to blink."

"Aww, come on, man, that was a classic!" Rob said. "I was setting the mood for the road trip!"

"I hope you're prepared to walk back to campus, because that's where we currently stand on your method of transportation from here on out," Sage said, leaning over to a pinpad sitting just outside the gate and punching in a number. The lock on the gates snapped back, and the gate slid smoothly to one side to allow the car to glide through.

"You wouldn't abandon your brother's best friend on the side of a road, would you?" Rob asked with a simper in his voice, leaning forward between the seats to give Sage his best "have mercy" expression.

"Rowan has no friends."

"Well no shit. I meant Ashton."

Sage snorted inelegantly through his nose as he angled into the driveway of a four story mansion of a house backed right up to the edge of the lake and parked. You had to tilt your head back just to be able to glimpse the top floor, and even that started to hurt after a few seconds. A noticeable difference to the house, however, was its color. All the other homes around the lake were either a soothing light blue or unremarkable beige. A couple were a deep red that somehow still managed to compliment the other homes around it. The Tally family lake house was a striking, completely off-putting black. Or maybe it was brown, and having the sun behind it made it look black from this angle. You also noticed all the curtains inside were drawn-and black-and the front door was a solid slab of dark colored wood with no glass insets. Even the walkway up to the entrance was filled with dark gravel, whereas everyone else's walkways were either laiden with marble stepping stones, or filled with rounded white pebbles.

"Cheerful, isn't it?" Rob asked as he hopped out of the car and opened the passenger side door for you. "Very Addams family-esque, I'd say. Just minus the helpful disembodied hand and catchy theme song."

You caught Sage rolling his eyes as he tucked his sunglasses into the visor of his car and got out as well. The front door opened as you all started up the walkway, and Ash looked out at you, looking both tired but also relieved.

"You made it," he said, smiling as you came up the steps towards him.

"I mean, your brother almost drove off the road a couple times rubbernecking, but we're good," Rob joked.

Ash ignored him as he looked you over, and you had to resist the urge to raise an eyebrow until he'd finished his inspection.

"I'm fine," you say pointedly as he breathes a noticeable sigh of relief. "No bruises or contusions or lesions or anything. I don't even think I need therapy."

He gives you a slight smile, but you can still see an edge in his gray eyes as he moves to let you all step inside.

The inside of the house is surprisingly lighter than the outside, and the layout refreshingly open. The walls are a pristine white, and the carpets and upholstery on the furniture are a light ivory. Your mouth is hanging open by the time you reach the end of the front hallway and look around to see the enormous living area and open kitchen and dining areas. The countertops were all sparkling white marble, and a crystal chandelier hung at the top of the arched ceiling in the center of the living area. A winding staircase that led to both the upper and lower floors was tucked in the far corner. Two enormous full length windows on the opposite side of the living area looked right out over the lake, and the French doors just beside it led out onto the back deck where you could just glimpse an immense hot tub.

Ash stood beside you with a slightly resigned look on his face as he took in your awestruck expression, and it occurred to you as you turned to him that he probably got this reaction a lot. And, on reflection, this was nothing new to him. This was just how he lived.

"Wow," you said, looking at him.

His smile is slightly tighter than seems normal, and he shrugs, looking uncomfortable. "It's a lot of space," he says, and you can tell he doesn't mean it as a good thing.

Now that he's said it, you realize how empty the place feels, even with the four of you standing in the same room. It would be much more suited for a party of at least a dozen people or more, which is probably just his mother does with it. This wasn't the kind of place you bought if you were looking to spend time with a small family. The thought made you sadder than you expected it to.

"It's pretty," you say sincerely, because you have no idea what else to say and you hate the look he has on his face.

His smile warms a little at that, and he gestures for you to follow him into the kitchen. Sage has perched himself on a barstool by one of the counters and is perusing on his phone. Rob has already helped himself to a large fruit platter that he clearly snagged out of the fridge. In between bites of apple and handfuls of grapes, he sucks down a bottle of apple juice. Go figure.

"Hungry?" Ash asks, gesturing to the fruit platter.

You shake your head, honestly too excited to even think of eating.

"I promise, I've had my rabies vaccine," Rob jokes, pushing the platter towards you, but you shake your head again.

"I want to go swimming," you say, unable to help the excitement in your voice.

Rob grins and Ash's smile deepens. Sage doesn't look up from his phone, but you think you see the corner of his mouth lift slightly.

"We can go on the boat in a bit," Ash promises, "But I think we're missing something."

You frown. "What?"

Ash smile morphs into a subtle smirk. "You bring a bathing suit?"

That brings you to a full stop as you realize you're back in your shirt and jeans from yesterday, and you do not, in fact, have anything like a bathing suit.

Ash's amused look makes you blush.

"I forgot," you mumble. Not like you owned a bathing suit anyway. You'd been packed and prepared for college but somehow swimming never factored in to your extracurriculars.

"Cool, looks like we're skinny dipping," Rob says with a mischievous grin. Ash throws him a dirty look that he snickers at.

"I'm having one picked up for you," Sage says from his barstool, still fixated on his phone screen.

You turn to him, startled. "You don't know my size," you say, and then-as a more frightening thought occurs to you-you add quickly, "And I am _not _wearing a bikini."


End file.
